Complete Guide about Mangalagiri Narasimha Swamy Temple
Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple, Mangalagiri
About Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple, Mangalagiri :
On the hill is where Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy’s temple is located. There is a stone inscription by Sri Krishna deva Raya of Vijayanagar on the right side of the steps (given to access the temple), and a bit farther up, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s foot prints can be observed. In the shrine of Lord Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy, which is located halfway up the stairs, there is simply the face with the mouth open.
Sri Pankala Lakshmi Narsimha Swamy Temple is located in Mangalagiri of Guntur District. Mangalagiri means The Auspicious Hill. This place is one of the 8 important Mahakshetrams (sacred places) in India. The eight places where Lord Vishnu manifested himself are:
(1) Sri Rangam
(2) Srimushnam
(3) Naimisam
(4) Pushkaram
(5) Salagamadri
(6) Thothadri
(7) Narayanasramam
(8) Venkatadri.
Mangalagiri Temple Official Website Link :
www.tms.ap.gov.in
Mangalagiri as it is today is Thotadri. On this hill, Lakshmi Devi has performed tapas. That is how it acquired its name (The auspicious hill). In Mangalagiri, there are three Narasimha Swamy temples. One is the hilltop Panakala Narasimha Swamy. Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, located at the base of the temple, is another. At the summit of the hill is Gandala Narasimha Swamy, the third one.
The offering of a jaggery-and-water beverage termed naivedya is customary in the shrine. Devotees serve this beverage as an act of fulfilment for their vows, and Lord “glady” accepts the Panaka Puja. He accepts it wholeheartedly and pours the wine into his mouth, making an odd gurgling sound as he does so. His tongue once more produces half of the liquor, which is then given out as prasad.
The absence of any form of insect life is another peculiar characteristic that may be observed here. Even though Garbhagriha has an abundance of the jaggery used to make “Panakam,” it is noticeable that there is no exit for this massive amount of the beverage. Nobody is aware of where or how the Panakam flows, making the entire region always dry and warm. According to legend, the hill was originally a volcano, and sugar or jaggery water neutralises the sulphide compounds found there to stop the volcano from erupting. Whatever the reason, every devotee returns to Mangalagiri Temple time and time again because of the holiness and divinity found there.
Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple @bottom of the hill:
Another temple, with roots dating back to Yudhishtira, the oldest of the pandavas, may be found at the base of the hill. According to legend, Yudhishtira is credited with founding the temple’s main deity, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
Approximately 200 years ago, Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu, who ruled from Amaravati as his capital, built a magnificent gopuram (tower) on the Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy’s eastern gate. It is the only structure of its kind in this region of India and one of the tallest gopurams in South India. It has 11 stories, is 153 feet tall, 49 feet wide, and has gates on both the east and west sides.
The central shrine is dwarfed by this enormous and commanding tower. A testament to the religious fervour that characterised the building is the devoted patience of thousands of trained artisans and the labour of many more apprentices that went into this enormous structure. It was tilting in one way when the gopuram was built. Digging a tank next to the tower was suggested by the Kancheepuram Architects. It is stated that the tower became straight after digging the tank.
History :
Mangalagiri is Sanskrit for “The Holy Hill,” and there may be a stone pillar with a Telugu inscription at the bottom of the stone steps that records local donations. It was written in AD 1520 and detailed Kondavidu’s seizure from the Gajapati Raju rulers of Kalinga in 1515 by Timmarusu, a commander of Krishna Deva Raya (ancient Odisha). Another stone close to the Garudalvar temple features inscriptions on four sides that list grants made during Sadasiva Raya’s rule of the Vijayanagara Empire in AD 1538.
In terms of sculpture and design, the temple at the base of the hill was built by “Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu” between 1807 and 1809. This temple stands to be the last testament to the traditional vishwakarma sthapathis’ methods of planning and sculpting these temples.
For a long time, the Golkonda Nawabs were in charge of this location. Hyder Ali robbed it in 1780, but he was unable to seize it. A Pindari gang pillaged the location once more in 1816. Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, who ruled the region from Amravati, had a gradual recovery after these two assaults. The location’s central Koneru (tank) was dry when it was visited in 1882. When the Pindaris pillaged this location, up to 9,840 rifles and 44 bullets that may have been connected to them were discovered. The famous Sri Krishna Deva Raya stopped by the scenic hill.
Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy:
This Kshetram is thought to offer “Moksha” with just one visit. Lord Rama went to this temple to find mental and physical tranquilly. He prayed in this Kshetram and gained back what he had lost. According to legend, Lord Rama requested that Anjaneya take up permanent residence here as Kshetra Palaka. The offering of a jaggery-and-water beverage termed naivedya is customary in the shrine. The Panaka Puja is gladly accepted by Lord when devotees serve this beverage in fulfilment of their vows. To piligrim, Naivedya Panakam is given out as prasad. Another peculiar thing about this place is that there are no insects of any type, even flies.On the hill where the Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is located, all that can be seen is a face with its mouth open.
Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple:
Another temple called Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy is located at the base of the hill. Both the image of Lakshmi Devi on his left and the representation of the Lord as Narasimha (the man-lion) are made of stone. The Lord’s garland, constructed of 108 “Saligramam,” is one of the temple’s noteworthy characteristics. During daily rituals in this temple, a unique conch called “Dakshanavrutha Sankham,” thought to have been used by Lord Krishna, is still employed. The Tanjore gave this conch to the temple as a gift.
Lakshmi Devi Temple:
A temple dedicated to Sri Lakshmi Devi, Lord Narasimha’s spouse, is located behind the main temple. There is a tunnel here that is supposed to finish at Undavalli on the banks of the River Krishna, to the west of the temple. It was thought that sages would utilise this tunnel to access the River Krishna for bathing.
In terms of sculpture and design, the temple at the base of the hill was built by “Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu” between 1807 and 1809. This temple stands to be the last testament to the traditional vishwakarma sthapathis’ methods of planning and sculpting these temples.
The main draw for the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is the Thoorpu Gali Gopuram (Tower on East Side). Three storeys were built by the Vijayanagara rulers, and a further eight storeys were built by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu. This temple is 153 feet tall and 49 feet wide. Towers with less breadth and more height are quite uncommon, like this one. It is the only structure of its kind in this region of India and one of the tallest gopurams in South India.
The main draw for the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is the Thoorpu Gali Gopuram (Tower on East Side). Three storeys were built by the Vijayanagara rulers, and a further eight storeys were built by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu. This temple is 153 feet tall and 49 feet wide. Towers with less breadth and more height are quite uncommon, like this one. It is the only structure of its kind in this region of India and one of the tallest gopurams in South India.
Legends :
Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy:
On the hill is where Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy’s temple is located. There is merely the face of Lord Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy, with his mouth extended widely. The offering of a jaggery-and-water beverage termed naivedya is customary in the shrine.
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy:
Both the image of Lakshmi Devi on his left and the representation of the Lord as Narasimha (the man-lion) are made of stone. Here, the 108 saligramam Lord’s garland has a unique meaning. One further significant item that belonged to the Lord is the Dakshanavrutha Sankham, a rare conch that was gifted by Maharaja Sarfoji of Tanjore and is thought to have been used by Lord Krishna.
Sri Rajya Lakshmi Devi:
A temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha’s spouse, Sri Rajyalakshmi Ammavari, is located behind the main temple. There is a tunnel near this temple that leads, according to legend, to Undavalli on the banks of the River Krishna. It was thought that sages would utilise this tunnel to access the River Krishna for bathing.
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